Israel’s offensive on Gaza has drawn sharp condemnation around the world, particularly from the online community. The US, however, has advocated Israel’s right to defend itself from terrorists, while the UN reached an impasse in negotiations.

Egypt, which withdrew its ambassador from Israel following the latter’s announcement that it would intensify its military campaign, ordered an emergency UN meeting to discuss the escalating conflict. Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr warned that further aggression from Israel could have “negative repercussions on the security and stability of the region.”

The Palestinian envoy to the UN slammed Israeli aggression during the meeting, decrying it as "vulgarly and publicly boasting about its willful killing of Palestinians.” Following Wednesday’s offensive that killed Hamas military leader Ahmed Jabari.

US Ambassador Susan Rice got behind Israel during the UN session, saying that there is no justification “for the violence that Hamas and other terrorist organizations are employing against the people of Israel."

The meeting was adjourned without any palpable conclusion, although the general message from the body was to de-escalate the conflict in order to avert any more civilian casualties.

At least 13 Palestinians have been reported dead so far, among them two children, according to Palestinian authorities.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed his concern at the situation and voiced expectation that "Israeli reactions are measured so as not to provoke a new cycle of bloodshed."

The White House released a transcript of President Obama’s communications with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday night. Obama stressed Israel’s right to defend itself and has decried rocket fire from Gaza into the country.

"The president urged Prime Minister Netanyahu to make every effort to avoid civilian casualties. The two agreed that Hamas needs to stop its attacks on Israel to allow the situation to de-escalate," the White House statement said. Netanyahu’s office said that he “deeply appreciated” the president’s support.

The US justifies its unwavering support of Israel in its terrorist classification of Hamas. RT correspondent Gayane Chichikyan highlighted the US’s double standard policy in its classification of terrorism, stressing they were not so quick to brand opposition attacks in Syria as “terrorism”, in spite of the fact the UN condemns them as such.

“There seem to be different interpretations of the term ‘terrorism’ in Washington,” said Chichikyan.

They brandished anti-war banners and chanted slogans against the minister, such as “Defense minister, defense minister, how many kids did you kill today?”, “Israel, Palestine, two states for two peoples”, “Money for welfare, not war” and “No war for tycoons.”

Israel’s Meretz Hadash and the newly-formed Pirates Party had a strong presence at the protest.

“This will only bring death to Palestinians and Israelis, and we call on everybody who is able to come stand by our side and fight against this step before civilians and soldiers on both sides are killed,” said Amit Ashkenazi, a spokesman for Hadash to the Jerusalem Post.

Palestinian men take part in a candle vigil in support of the people of the Gaza Strip and against Israeli air strikes, on November 14, 2012 in front of the Church of the Nativity at the West Bank city of Bethlehem. (AFP Photo / Musa Al Shaer)

Palestenian protesters shout slogans as they march in the West Bank city of Ramallah on November 14, 2012 during a demonstration in support of the people of the Gaza Strip and against Israeli air strikes. (AFP Photo / Abbas Momani)

Meanwhile in Ramallah, hundreds flooded the streets of the West Bank, enraged by Israel’s offensive. They called for revenge for those slain in the rocket strikes and urged Palestinian forces to return fire into Israel.

In the Egyptian capital, crowds gathered outside the Israeli embassy demanding its immediate closure, while demonstrations in solidarity of Gaza have also reportedly taken place in Istanbul and Turkey.

Protests are expected in the Israeli cities of Haifa and Jerusalem on Thursday.

Egyptians protest for the closure of the Israeli embassy in Cairo. (Image from twitter user@EslamX)

Egyptians protest for the closure of the Israeli embassy in Cairo. Egypt (Image from twitter user@Mad_Darsh)

The operation, launched after days of rocket fire from the coastal territory, was Israel's most intense attack on Gaza since its full-scale war there four years ago.

The Israeli military said the some 20 airstrikes were part of a major offensive dubbed "Operation Pillar of Defense," according to a Reuters report.

Israeli aircraft dropped leaflets on several locations in Gaza early Thursday, warning Gazans to stay away from Hamas, other militants and their facilities.

The Israeli military said its aircraft targeted more than 20 facilities that served as storage or launching sites for rockets.

For the past four years, Israel and Hamas have largely observed an informal truce. But in recent weeks, the calm has unraveled in a bout of rocket attacks from Gaza and retaliatory Israeli airstrikes.

In my view. If Gaza/Hamas is going to continue aggression towards Israel how is it then that they cry out at the consequences brought about by their own actions? When Gaza aims its projectiles at Israel they are untargeted, heading for nothing more than civilian populations. When Israel strikes back with deadly accuracy at militarial targets they are condemned. Yes, Israel is more deadly, so stop the aggression. There are consequences for actions. When a mosquito continues to buzz around ones ear eventually it gets swatted.I just don't get it.Yes I grieve at the deadly force of Israel and the deaths that are involved, but the deaths of innocent persons are on both sides of the fence. I understand that Israel wants an end to the aggression constantly aimed at their civilian population. They think that the display of their power will convince the other side not to engage deadly forces. At least they are not just sending random rockets into Gaza. They do have specified targets.I know this is an unpopular view on this forum, but facts are facts, and we must look at the situation as it is.

I just wish all the aggression would stop and people would behave like civilized human beings and reach a settlement with one another.

If your historical perspective of the conflict began Nov. 14, 15, 2012 I may be inclined to agree with you, however in the 1880s when Jews desired to settle in Palestine, Zionist said Palestine was "a land without people for a people without land." What followed was "voluntary flight" (of a people who weren't really there in the first place), or ethnic cleansing.

And if your historical perspective of the conflict began in the 1880s I may be inclined to agree with you, however this region has been fought over for millenia. All sides have committed attrocities. Whose turn it is now depends on who fired the last rocket.

Gosh, not really sure how to quantify millenia, however prior to voluntary flight/ethnic cleansing, Jews and Muslims lived as neighbors in peace. The dismissive notion that, 'they've been killing each other for hundreds of years' isn't factual with respect to Palestine. Anyway, your point is well taken concerning the last rocket fired.

Generally, a millenium is a thousand years. So millenia is the plural, or, multiples of one thousand years. Palestine is an area, not a country (at least not yet) and it has been fought over and dominated by people of various beliefs and ethnic backgrounds since before Christ walked the Earth, and by dominated I don't mean peacefully.

Well, notwithstanding thousands of years, sadly women and
children suffer greatly from war and conflict, and it is my hope that people of
moral conscious understand thatthere
must be a limit to everything.How can
over 3 million people endlessly live under occupation with little hope for the
future?What a complete shame.I really wish the international community
would offer the Arab and Christian Palestinians an exit from Israel, those who
desire to leave anyway, because staying is really hopeless and obviously a pain
in the neck for the west and Arab world.

The people whoever they are firing the rockets know very well what they are doing. They started the barrage and will not stop, knowing that Israel would eventually retaliate and they also know that if they continue it will create a wider conflict, probably with Israel invading again. And they had been told if they continue to fire rockets retaliation will come. As densly populated as Gaza is, there is no way to prevent civilian casualties. Does anyone here actually believe the people firing the rockets actually care about the palestinian civilians who will die?

I don't believe it one bit no matter how many photos they will show in the papers of innocents killed because those people sending rockets are consumed by their own hate and dream of creating a wider conflict drawing in surrounding countries. Of course, blame it all on Israeli agression.

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